Egg carton



March 28, 1967 R. P. BLAlS 3,311,284

EGG CARTON Filed July 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill All:

INVENTOR FAZPH P BLA/S BY MM. 9%

ATTORNEY March 28, 1967 R. P. BLAIS 3,311,284

EGG CARTON Filed July 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PM PH 1 BLA/S m 5 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,311,234 EGG CARTUN Ralph P. Biais, Euluth, Minn assignor to Van Vick Paper Box Company, St. Louis County, Minn a corporation of lviinnesota Filed July 19, 1965, Ser. No. 473,953 14 Claims. (til. 229-255) This invention relates to an improvement in egg cartons and deals particularly with a carton which acts as a display for the product.

Items such as eggs are usually packaged in cellular cartons formed of paperboard or of molded pulp. Such cartons are usually provided with a hinged cover which folds over the product to hold it in place. During recent years, there has been an increasing tendency to package goods of all types in transparent packages or in transparent films. This tendency has not extended to any great extent into the field of packaging fragile objects such as eggs. Such objects may be readily inserted in cellular cartons of paperboard or molded pulp and obtain the necessary protection therefrom. It is an object of the present inven tion to provide a carton made of paperboard having a plurality of open topped egg-receiving cells which can be overwrapped in transparent plastic film such as shrink film or the like.

A feature of the present invention resides in forming a cellular carton in the form of a tube having a central divider extending longitudinally thereof, and having partitions hinged to the top wall of the tube and folded down into interlocking relation with the central divider. The length of the partitions in a direction at right angles to the lines of fold connecting them to the top panel is substantially less than the distance between the partitions when they are folded downwardly to form cells. As a result, the portion of the top panel between adjacent partitions partially overlies the cells, making it necessary to flex the paperboard to some extent in order to insert the eggs in the cells. With this arrangement, the portions of the top panel between the partitions tend to restrict the removal of the eggs from the cells, and it is usually possible to invert the filled but unwrapped cartons without dropping any of the eggs from the cells.

An important feature of the present invention lies in the manner employed to lock the partitions extending downwardly from the top panel. Each of the partitions is provided with a generally H-shaped cut formed by a vertical out line at the transverse center line of the partition and a pair of laterally extending cut lines which intersect the first out line at the ends thereof. The H-sha-ped cut thus provides a pair of tabs in end abutting relation. The H-cut is spaced from the free end of each partition so as to provide a connecting strap between the H-shaped cut and the end of the partition. The center dividing wall is slotted with generally arcuate slots to accommodate this connecting strap as the partition is folded downwardly. As the partition swings downwardly, the ends of the opposed tabs frictionally engage opposite sides of the divider wall and restrain the partitions from folding in a reverse direction. The tabs thus effectively lock the partitions in downwardly folded position.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a carton of the type described in which the transverse partitions are somewhat wider than the distance between the side walls of the carton. A pair of fold lines extend across each partition, converging inwardly from the ends of the transverse line of fold connecting the partition to the top wall. The ends of the partition, which are outwardly of these converging fold lines, form flaps which are flexed into angular relation to the center portion of the partition, forming cells which are somewhat rounded along an outer corner to better fit the shape of the product.

3,3 l h2 4 Patented Mar. 23, 1R5? An added feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a center divider wall which is of lesser height than the side walls of the carton and in the provision of transverse partitions which interlock with the central divider to hold the two bottom panels of the carton in upwardly and inwardly inclined relation from their lines of connection with the side walls. Legs are cut from the bottom panels in such a manner as to remain connected to the divider panels and in the plane thereof. These legs extend to the plane of the lower edges of the side walls and act as a center support for the carton.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton of the type described and in which the bottom panel is apertured at the center of each cell. The apertures tend to hold the eggs centered in their cells, and also provide a means of assisting in the removal of the eggs from the cells. The apertures are large enough to accommodate the end of a finger so that the egg may be pushed upwardly until the egg may be readily grasped.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the finished carton, the product being shown in dotted outline so that the interior structure of the carton may be seen.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the empty carton.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of one end of the carton.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the other end of the carton.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view, the position of the section being indicated by the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the carton, the position of the section being indicated by the line 66 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

The carton is indicated in general by the letter A and is particularly useful in holding fragile objects such as the eggs B. While the carton has been described as an egg carton, it is obvious that it could also be used for various other products.

With reference first to FIGURE 7 of the drawings, it will be noted that the carton A includes a top panel ill which is foldably connected along parallel fold lines 11 to side wall panels 12. The side wall panels 12 are foldably connected along parallel fold lines 13 to bottom panels 14. The bottom panels 14- are foldably connected along parallel fold lines 15 to divider panels 16. The divider panels 15 are preferably identical in form so as to form a double thickness center partition extending longitudinally of the tubular carton. However, it would be possible to cut off one of the panels 16 along a line parallel to the fold line 15 so as to provide, in effect, a glue flap. The carton A is attached in tubular form by adhering the two divider panels 16 in face contact. The cartons are normally supplied to the users in this fiat folded form.

As will be evident from FIGURE 7, most of the top panel ll? is cut away to form a series of transverse partitions. A series of longitudinally equally spaced transverse fold lines 17 extend across the top panel 19 from one fold line 11 to the other. The fold lines 17 hingedly connect the remaining portions of the top panel 1% to a series of transverse partitions which are indicated in general by the numeral 19. The partitions 19 are defined by generally U-shaped cuts 20 which terminate at the juncture between the transverse fold lines 17 and the longitudinal fold lines 11. The cuts 2% include cut line portions 21 which extend generally parallel to the fold lines 17 the major portion of the width of the top panel 1-0. The ends 3 of the cut lines 21 are connected by generally V-shaped cuts to the end of the fold lines 17. The V-shaped cut lines include cut lines 22 which diverge apart from the ends of the cut lines 21 to extend across the fold lines 11, and angularly related cut lines 23 extending in converging relation from the ends of the cut lines 22 to the ends of the fold lines 17. As a result, the rounded vertex 24 of each pair of cut lines 22, 23 lies in one of the side walls 12. With this arrangement, the partitions 19 are of somewhat greater width than the distance between the side walls 12 of the erected carton.

A pair of fold lines 25 extend across each of the partitions 19. The fold lines 25 converge inwardly toward the center line of the partitions from the ends of the fold lines 17. The fold lines 25 thus divide the partition 19 into substantially trapezoidal center portions 26, and generally triangular flaps 27. As will be later indicated, the flaps 27 fold into angular relation to the center portions 26 of the partitions 19 when the partitions 19 are folded between the side walls 12.

Each of the partitions 19 is provided with what might be termed an H-shaped cut 29. Each of the H-shaped cuts 29 includes a central out line 30 which extends along the center line of the partition 19 and transversely extending cut lines 31 and 32. The transverse cut lines 31, 32 are shown as slightly V-shaped with the apexes of the Vs connected by the out line 30. Fold lines 33 parallel to the cut line 30 connect the outer ends of the transverse cut lines 31 and 32. Thus the H-shaped cuts 29 form a pair of rectangular of trapezoidal tabs 34 which may flex out of the plane of the remainder of the center portions 26 of the partitions 19. The fold lines 33 connect the shorter sides of the trapezoidal tabs to the remainder of the partition 19.

The end of each transverse partition 19 is centrally notched as indicated at 35, and the notch includes a short slit extending along the center line of the partition. Each notch 35 is designed to frictionally accommodate a portion of the divider wall. Short fold lines 36 extend across the end portion of each partition 19, diverging apart from the ends of the transverse out line 31 to the cut line 21 forming the end of the partition. The fold lines 36 define a connecting strap 37 between each H-cut 29 and the free end of the partition 19 as defined by the out line 21.

An end partition 39 is hingedly connected to the end of the top panel 19 along a fold line 40 which is offset inwardly to some extent from the corresponding ends of the other panels described. The end partition 39 is of trapezoidal shape to correspond to the cross sectional shape of the carton in erected form. The inclined side edges of the trapezoidal partition 39 are foldably connected to narrow flanges 42 along fold lines 41 which converge toward the center line from the ends of the fold line 40. A locking flange 43 is also hinged to the free end of the partition 39 along a fold line 44. A generally H- shaped cut 45 is provided in the partition 39. The H-cut 45 is formed by a central longitudinal cut 46 extending along the center line of the partition 39 and transverse cut lines 47 and 49 extending transversely of the partition 39. The ends of the transverse cut lines 47 and 49 are connected by longitudinally extending fold line 50, thus providing a pair of opposed tabs 51 which are normally in end abutting relation along the center line of the carton.

Each of the divider panels 16 is cut to provide a series of generally arcuate slots 52 designed to accommodate the connecting strap 37 of a corresponding partition 19. Each of the slots 52 is defined by an arcuate upper edge 53 and a substantially arcuate lower edge 54. The center of arcuation of the edges 53 and 54 is substantially at the outer edge of the divider panel 16 which shall form the upper edge thereof, at a point substantially aligned with a corresponding transverse fold line 17. The ends of the slot 52 are defined by cut lines 55 which will be directly below the fold lines 17. As a result, the center portions of the partition may be folded into vertical position. The

upper edges 53 of the slots 52 are notched as indicated at 56 at the juncture between the edges 53 and the cut lines 55. The edges of the divider panels 16 which will form the upper edges thereof in the finished form of the carton are rounded as indicated as 57 between adjoining slots 52. The ends of the divider panels 16 which are on the end of the blank supporting the end partition 39 are provided with notches 59 which are designed to accommodate the connecting strap 69 of the end wall partition 39, this connecting strap being located between the transverse cut line 47 of the H-cut 45 and the free end of the partition wall 39. The notches 59 are also designed to accommodate the locking flange 43 as is indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. The notches 59 include curved lower edges 61, a pair of angularly related cut lines 62 and 63, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined cut line 64. The notches 59 thus formed thus have a relatively narrow inlet opening and are wider inwardly of the opening. The juncture between the rounded portion 61 and the cut line 62 forms a shoulder against which the locking flange 44 may engage to positively lock the partition wall 39 in position.

The bottom panels 14 are provided with a series of apertures 65 midway between the fold lines 13 and 15 and properly spaced to be located centrally between the partitions 19 when these partitions are in vertically extending position. These apertures 65 serve the dual purpose of centering the eggs in the various cells, and in providing finger apertures through which the finger may be inserted to urge the egg from its cell.

The fold lines 15 connecting the bottom panels 14 to the divider panels 16 are interrupted by three U-shaped cut lines 66, the ends of which terminate on the fold lines 15, and which extend into the bottom panels 14. The cut lines 66 in both bottom panels 14 are similarly located. The cut lines 66 each define a trapezoidal leg 67 which is connected to the divider panel 16 and which remains in the plane thereof. These legs project downwardly from the center line of the carton to the plane of the lower edges of the side walls 12. The proportions of the walls are such that when the transverse partition walls hinged to the top panel 10 are interlocked with the slots 52 of the central divider panels, the bottom panels 14 incline upwardly from the lower edges of the side wall to the center line of the carton as is indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings. I

The carton is set up by merely folding the side walls, top wall, and bottom wall into tubular relation with the divider panels 16 extending upwardly. The partition panels 19 are then folded downwardly into right angular relation to the top panel 10. During this operation, the locking tabs 34 are flexed apart by the insertion of portions of the divider panels therebetween. When completely folded, the upper edges of the connecting straps 37 engage in the notches 56, and a portion of the edge 54 of each slot is wedged into the slit or notch 35. The flaps 27 of each partition are folded into angular relation to the central portion of the partition to form contoured cells for receiving the product.

The assembly is completed by folding the end partition wall 39 downwardly until the connecting strap 60 and locking flange 44 are engaged in the notches 59, as is indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.

After the package has been filled, a strip of shrink film C is wrapped about the carton, the film being generally as long as the carton. The film is then subjected to heat to the extent necessary to shrink the film about the carton. The carton thus produced displays the eggs through the the film and forms an extremely attractive package.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in eg" cartons; while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the to scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A carton for eggs and the like includin a top panel,

side walls hinged to opposite edges of said top panel and extending downwardly therefrom,

bottom walls hinged to the lower edges of said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom,

center divider panels intermediate said side Walls hinged to the inner opposed edges of said bottom walls and secured in face contact,

a series of substantially equally spaced transverse fold lines extending across said top panel,

a transverse partition hinged to said top panel along each said fold line and folded downwardly between said side walls,

each said partition being defined by a generally U- shaped out line terminating at opposite ends of a corresponding one of said fold lines,

each of said partitions having a pair of opposed, substantially end abutting locking tabs arranged with their ends at the longitudinal center line of said partitions,

said locking tabs being spaced from the lower ends of said partitions to provide a connecting strap between said tabs and the lower end edges of said partitions, and

said divider panels having slots therein having a substantially arcuate upper edge with the center of arcuation at the upper edges of said divider panels and adjacent the lines of fold extending across said top panel,

said slots having a width at least substantially equal to the width of said straps and adapted to accommodate the strap of a corresponding partition, and

said locking tabs being frictionally engaged with opposite sides of said divider panels when said straps are engaged in said slots.

2. A carton for eggs and the like including:

a top panel,

side walls hinged to opposite edges of said top panel and extending downwardly therefrom,

bottom walls hinged to the lower edges of said side Walls and extending inwardly therefrom,

center divider panels intermediate and said side walls and hinged to the inner opposed edges of said bottom walls and secured in face contact,

a series of substantially equally spaced transverse fold lines extending across said top panel,

a transverse partition hinged to said top panel along each said fold line and folded downwardly between said side walls,

each said partition being defined by a transverse out line extending across said top panel, and generally V-shaped cut lines having the apex thereof in the side wall and the ends thereof terminating at an end of one of said cut lines and at an end of one of said transverse fold lines, respectively,

each of said partitions having a pair of opposed, substantially end abutting locking tabs arranged with their ends at the longitudinal center line of said partitions,

said locking tabs being spaced from the lower ends of said partitions to provide a connecting strap between said tabs and the lower end edges of said partitions, and

said divider panels having slots therein having a substantially arcuate upper edge with the center of arcuation at the upper edges of said divider panels and adjacent the lines of fold extending across said top panel,

said slots having a Width at least substantially equal to the width of said strap and adapted to accommodate the strap of a corresponding partition, and

said locking tabs being frictionally engaged with opposite sides of said divider panels when said straps are engaged in said slots.

3. A carton for eggs and the like including:

a top panel,

side walls hinged to opposite edges of said top panel and extending downwardly therefrom,

bottom walls hinged to the lower edges of said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom,

center divider panels intermediate said side Walls and hinged to the inner opposed edges of said bottom walls and secured in face contact,

a series of substantially equally spaced transverse fold lines extending across said top panel,

a transverse artition hinged to said top panel along each said fold line and folded downwardly between said side walls,

each said partition being defined by a generally U- shaped cut line including a transverse out line extending across said top panel, and generally V-shaped opposed out lines connecting the ends of said transverse cut line to the ends of a corresponding one of said transverse cut lines, said V-shaped cut lines extending into said side walls to provide partitions having a width greater than the distance between said side Walls,

each of said partitions having a pair of opposed, substantially end abutting locking tabs arranged with their ends at the longitudinal center line of said partitions,

said locking tabs being spaced from the lowe ends of said partitions to provide a connecting strap between said tabs and the lower end edges of said partitions, and

said divider panels having slots therein having a substantially arcuate upper edge with the center of arcuation at the upper edges of said divider panels and adjacent the lines of fold extending across said top panel,

said slots having a width at least substantially equal to the width of said strap and adapted to accommodate the strap of a corresponding partition, and

said locking tabs being frictionally engaged with opposite sides of said divider panels when said straps are engaged in said slots.

4. The structure of claim 3 and including a pair of fold lines diverging downwardly and inwardly from the ends of said transverse fold lines across each said transverse partition.

5. A carton for eggs and the like including:

l8. top panel,

a pair of side wall panels hingedly connected to opposite edges of said top panel and extending downwardly therefrom,

bottom panels hingedly connected to the lower edges of said side wall panels and extending inwardly therefrom,

divider walls hingedly connected to said bottom panels along fold lines parallel to those connecting said bottom panels to said side walls,

means securing said divider walls in face contact with at least one divider wall terminating in closely spaced relation to said top panel when said bottom panels are in upwardly sloping relation from the side walls to said divider walls,

a plurality of transverse partitions hinged to said top panel along transverse lines of fold,

said transverse partitions being defined by generally U- shaped cut lines terminating at opposite ends of said transverse lines of fold,

each said partition having a generally H-shaped slit therein including a central out line parallel to and intermediate said side walls and a pair of transverse cut lines intersecting said central out line at opposite ends thereof,

the transverse out line most remote from the transverse fold line of each partition being spaced from the lower end of the partition to provide a connecting strap,

at least said one divider wall having a slot therein for each of said partitions, said slots being shaped to accommodate said straps and terminating below the transverse fold lines to permit said partitions to swing downwardly into substantially vertical position, and

said H-shaped slit defining a pair of tabs having ends frictionaliy engaged with opposite sides of said at least one divider wall.

6. The structure of claim and including legs defined by U-shaped cut lines in said bottom panels terminating along the lines of fol-d connecting said bottom panels and said divider walls and coplanar with said divider walls, said legs extending downwardly to the plane of the outer edges of said bottom panels.

7. The structure of claim 5 and in which the transverse partitions are wider than the distance between said side walls and are flexed thereby when folded therebetween.

8. The structure of claim 7 and in which said partitions include fold lines extending thereacross in converging relation from the ends of said transverse fold lines.

9. The structure of claim 5 and in which the bottom panels are provided with apertures therethrough spaced between the transverse fold lines in said top panel.

10. A carton for eggs and the like including:

a top panel,

side walls hinged to opposite edges of said top panel extending downwardly therefrom,

bottom walls hinged to the lower edges of said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom,

center divider panels hinged to the inner opposed edges of said bottom walls and secured in face contact,

a series of substantially equally spaced transverse fold lines extending across said top panel,

a transverse partition hinged to said top panel along each said fold line and folded downwardly between said side walls,

each said partition being defined by a generally U- shaped cut line terminating at opposite ends of a corresponding one of said fold lines,

each of said partitions having a pair of opposed, substantially end abutting locking tabs arranged with their ends at the longitudinal center line of said partitions,

8 said locking tabs being spaced from the lower ends of said partitions to provide a connecting strap between said tabs and the lower end edges of said partitions, and

said divider panels having slots therein having a substantially arcuate upper edge with the center of arcuation at the upper edges of said divider panels and adjacent the lines of fold extending across said top panel,

said slots having a width at least equal to the width of said strap of a corresponding partition and terminating substantially directly below the fold lines connecting the partitions to the top panel, and

said locking tabs frictionally engaging opposite sides of portions of said divider panels above saidarcuate edges of said slots when said partitions are folded downwardly between said side walls.

11. The structure of claim 10 and including a notch at the end of each arcuate slot edge below each transverse fold line.

12. The structure of claim 10 and in which each transverse fold line is interrupted, midway between the center of the transverse fold line and the ends thereof, with a curved cut line extending into the top panel on the side of the transverse fold line opposite the transverse partitions.

13. The structure of claim 10 and in which the length of said partitions in a direction at right angles to said transverse fold lines is substantially less than the distance between said partitions when folded downwardly, whereby the top panel assists in retaining eggs or the like between said partitions.

14. The structure of claim 10 and in which said partitions are wider than the distance between said side walls, and including fold lines extending across said partitions in converging relation from the ends of said transverse fold lines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,838,997 12/1931 Levine 22929 3,179,324 4/1965 Holmes 229-28 3,246,827 4/1966 Walter 22928 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARTON FOR EGGS AND THE LIKE INCLUDING: A TOP PANEL, SIDE WALLS HINGED TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID TOP PANEL AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, BOTTOM WALLS HINGED TO THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREFROM, CENTER DIVIDER PANELS INTERMEDIATE SAID SIDE WALLS HINGED TO THE INNER OPPOSED EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM WALLS AND SECURED IN FACE CONTACT, A SERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED TRANSVERSE FOLD LINES EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TOP PANEL, A TRANSVERSE PARTITION HINGED TO SAID TOP PANEL ALONG EACH SAID FOLD LINE AND FOLDED DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, EACH SAID PARTITION BEING DEFINED BY A GENERALLY USHAPED CUT LINE TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID FOLD LINES, EACH OF SAID PARTITIONS HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY END ABUTTING LOCKING TABS ARRANGED WITH THEIR ENDS AT THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SAID PARTITIONS, SAID LOCKING TABS BEING SPACED FROM THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PARTITIONS TO PROVIDE A CONNECTING STRAP BETWEEN SAID TABS AND THE LOWER END EDGES OF SAID PARTITIONS, AND SAID DIVIDER PANELS HAVING SLOTS THEREIN HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY ARCUATE UPPER EDGE WITH THE CENTER OF ARCUATION AT THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS AND ADJACENT THE LINES OF FOLD EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TOP PANEL, SAID SLOTS HAVING A WIDTH AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID STRAPS AND ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE STRAP OF A CORRESPONDING PARTITION, AND SAID LOCKING TABS BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED WITH OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS WHEN SAID STRAPS ARE ENGAGED IN SAID SLOTS. 